Ever wondered how resilience and creativity can pave the way for business success even in the face of a global crisis? Uncover the entrepreneurial journey of a dynamic mother-daughter duo, Latiisha, and Brittani Gash, who defied the odds during the COVID-19 pandemic, transforming their passions into thriving local businesses - Candles by Tiara and Tiara's Cakes and Cupcakes.
Witness the magic that unfolds when family, entrepreneurial spirit, and a passion for comfort and indulgence blend. Hear Latiisha and Brittani share their inspiring journey of launching a candle and cake business amidst challenging times, and how they turned ordinary items into a source of relaxation and pleasure. Learn how Latiisha's focus on natural candle ingredients sparked a light during dark times, and how Brittani, after perfecting her brownie recipe, ventured into cake-making, satisfying the sweet cravings of many. Get a glimpse into their collaborative efforts and how their products beautifully complement each other on special occasions. This episode is a testament to the resilience, adaptability, and creative spirit of small business owners. Tune in and be inspired.
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JPH:
Hello, this is Joanna Patrice Haggerty and I am on location at the 2023 Holiday Pop-Up Market at the Asheville Mall, sponsored by WWBC and BizRadious. We have 50 local women-owned entrepreneurs here selling their goods and getting their name out there for folks. Joining me now is Letitia and Brittany. Remind me your last names. I forgot Gash Gash thank you.
JPH:
And the companies are Candles by Tiara and Tiara's Cakes and Cupcakes. Thank you for being here, y'all. Thank you, yes, yes. So tell me a little bit about the two businesses and what you sell, and even how that started happening.
Latiisha:
Okay, well, we started with Candles by Tiara, and this was during COVID times. So once we started that, my daughter would start baking cakes, and so she started her own, which is Tiara's Cakes and Cupcakes. So when we do our pop-ups, we do Candles, cakes, cupcakes, and sometimes we come together and do events. Yes, I love that.
JPH:
Well, being an entrepreneur is challenging, so having a family member who really understands that's got to be really helpful at times, right.
Brittani :
Yes, my mom. She's really good with the business side of things and I'm currently learning there in school, with me going to be a cosmetologist so it's kind of getting the best of both worlds. Honestly, I love that but knowing somebody that is good with the business. It's just very helpful with all this stuff.
JPH:
It's so necessary. Yes, share the highs and the lows right.
Brittani :
Yes, yes, in and out. Okay, we ain't sell much today but you know well that's how it is some days you know.
JPH:
And then there's days like wow, we did really good today, mom.
Brittani :
It is really cool sharing that experience with my mother and my mom.
JPH:
That is so special. It's really a blessing. Yes, well, tell me why. Candles and cakes and cupcakes? How is that inspiring for y'all? Oh?
Latiisha:
you know, if you're a candle lover, you know candles can be so relaxing, especially after a hard day's work. You go home and get that bath, you light a candle, or get that shower, light a candle and just relax. And so that right there doing COVID-19, that's what we were doing. I love that and it was like, oh man, let's try making our own, you know, and try different scents. So, and I'm all about getting natural ingredients, great. And so that's what inspired me to do the natural ingredients with my candles.
JPH:
I love that inspiration.
Brittani :
With the cakes. It was during COVID, so it was a little rough time for everybody. So cooking dinner and I'm like let me try making a cake, because I usually do brownies. Those are my goats.
JPH:
Which are not easy.
Brittani :
so Exactly so. I did a red velvet cake and everyone was like man, this is good. And from now on, from then, we just I've been making cakes and just going and a lot of people I know people got sweet tooth. Everybody got a tooth for something and sweet. You can't beat that. You can't beat a great-grandmother's homemade pound cake.
JPH:
Woo, it's about the truth. You can't beat a honeycomb who is actually in the audience right now, by the way.
Latiisha:
Yeah, yeah, she was, I just walked up, yeah yeah, I went the marvelous way. That's it okay, so beautiful.
Brittani :
But just collabing with. Like Valentine's Day, I'll do Valentine Cup cakes, she'll do her heart candles. It's a really cool collabing with my mother. It's a blessing. I couldn't ask for a better partner. Honestly, that is so special.
JPH:
I love it. Well, tell me a little bit about how you get to some of those flavors. Maybe we're starting with some of the candles. How do you concoct those? Where do they?
Latiisha:
come from. So mine is like lavender, the natural ingredients, vanilla that really caught me because lavender is so calming, yeah, and that is one that stuck out to me and it's one of my best sellers, Wow. And then we have like the champagne scent and it's like a fruity, not too loud but a little soft Woo-hoo-hoo, and everyone loves that as well, so we can mix them as well, but those are the two that really stands out, wow, and it's really calming to us yeah, I think with me right now.
Brittani :
Honey Bun Cake is I actually one of my parents' friends? He was like I need you to try to make this". I said, okay, I tried. Everybody's been throwing all these ideas at me. I said, okay, I'm going to shoot for this honeybug cake. I tried it. It became one of my biggest sellers. Wow, the homemade pound cake. This is a recipe from my great grandmother. I love that. I mean I think like those two are my, like my best ones right now. Everybody loves revved with cupcakes. That's what I started out with. It was revved with it. Then I went from vanilla chocolate strawberry One. For Valentine's Day I did pink Moscato Homemade pink Moscato.
JPH:
Y'all, I'm going to have some champagne with you. That's my drink of choice too, by the way. Okay, no, I think it's so inspiring that you guys are using natural ingredients and sort of tying yourself to earth and your roots, but then you're also open to being inspired and trying new things. That's really, really awesome. So how can people find you when they need a candle or a cupcake or a cake? How do they reach out and connect with you guys?
Latiisha:
Well, we are located on Facebook. Okay, and you can look at us and look us up at Candice by Tiara on Facebook and you can do our personal Facebook page and that's LaTisha Gash.
Brittani :
Either way, and for me. You can hit me up on Tiara's Cakes and Cupcakes on Facebook and you can also hit me up on my personal page, which is Britney Gash. We are located in Hendersonville but we travel to Asheville. You know we got family in Asheville, which makes it even better.
JPH:
Hey, Western North Carolina. We all need cake somewhere, right, Right?
Brittani :
I'm always going to want a pound cake for Christmas.
JPH:
I already know it, so that's great.
Brittani :
So yeah, most definitely.
JPH:
Well, you too. Thank you for inspiring me today and for letting me see this really beautiful, familiar relationship I was mentioning to you guys. Our radio station is family owned too, and it's just really really powerful to see that.
Latiisha:
All right, Thank you so much for having us.
JPH:
Thank you guys, it's been an honor. Thank you. Thank you, thanks to our listeners. Please be sure to check out bizradious for more great conversations around small and mid-sized businesses, leaders and innovators.